The storeroom next to the Interurban Station was a restaurant,
with an arch- way that opened into the station.

During the interurban days it was called the Annex and
was operated by N.E. George. Older Fostorians will remember him since
he was prominent in business and involved in many other enterprises
other than the restaurant. In later years, Pete Tsantles had a restaurant
in that location called The Grill.

Today, Bill's Men's and Boys' wear occupies the rooms
where the Interurban Statin and the Annex were. They have been in business
in Fostoria for 55 years.

JEWELERS LIKED LOCATION

The next storeroom has always been a popular place for
jewelry stores. Even before 1915, Fitzsimmons and Fisher-Jewelers had
one-half of that room, with the rest used by Clara B. Genrich & Co.,
Millinery and The Book Store, oper- ated by Zada Van Horn and Margaret
H. Thomas, two prominent businesswomen in town. The latter had many
other locations during its lifetime.

In later years, T.A. Lowery, jeweler, took over that room,
followed by Turner and Lowery, George Chapman Jewelry, Stevens Jewelry
Co. and then Kaminisky Bros. Jewelers, who have been at that location
for 25 years before moving there, Kaminisky Bros. occupied 111 N. Main
St.

The photo No. 3 used with last weeks article, shows a
curbsite store clock which probably dates back to the time of Fitzsimmons
and Fisher. Large out- door clocks were an important advertising medium,
and there were several on Main.

The second floor rooms above these locations housed various
businesses in pre- vious years. A.J. Vogel, and Joseph Gabriel, both
tailors, were two of those businessmen, both fine tailors from an era
when most business and professional men had suits custom-made of the
finest fabrics available.

Another upstairs tenant was J.E. Atha Printshop and A.W.
Aylesworth, Realtor. Aylesworth was deaf and always carried a horn-shaped
hearing aid, which people spoke into to magnify the sound.

RESERVED FOR SHOES

The next location has been a shoestore ever since I can
remember, and even earlier. Today it is occupied by Ralph's Shoes, located
there since 1955, now managed by Richard Miller.

Going back to earlier days it was the Lease & Linhart
Shoe Store. Photo No. 1 shows it then, with the two owners. Notice the
gas lights used for illumina- tion in that era.

After Lease & Linhart, it became Linhart and Hess, Linhart's
Boot Shop, then Linhart and Peter, Foster Shoes and finally Ralph's
Shoes.

Incidentally, sometime ago, when Richard Miller was investigating
the upstairs rooms of that building, he discovered dust-covered memorabilia
of that long ago era. One piece was a sign used by A.J. Vogel in one
of his places of business (he had several), and correspondence and records
of Vogel's business transactions.

Although we near the end of the trip into the past and
present of the Center- to-Tiffin block, there is still much to write
about.

PREIS IN 52ND YEAR

The Preis Store has occupied its location for so many
years that readers have forgotten other stores that were located there.
In fact, initially the Preis Store occupied the room at 121 N. Main
st. where the Chamber of Commerce is now.

Later it moved to East Tiffin Street where Odenweller
Furniture had been, dir- ectly back of the present store.

When Peter Clothing vacated the corner of Main and Tiffin,
Preis took over that location and later expanded into the room next
door where Art Clothes shop, managed by Art Wernick, was located.

Jacob Preis started the store and was assisted by Bernard
Preis, a relative. It is now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Stanford Gilberg.
She is the daughter of Jacob Preis. The store is now in its 52nd year.

Going back to 1884, when photo No. 2 was taken, the room
next to the corner was occupied by Wise & Green Grovery. It was a typical
grocery of the 1800s or early 1900s, vastly different from today's modern
supermarket.

Products displayed, which may not be identifiable when
the photo appears in print, are: potatoes, and other produce in baskets,
coal oil lamps, dishes, spitoons, canned goods and other food products.

On the wall in the right of the photo is a circular sign
which reads, "Stan- dard Oil Co. Stove Gasoline."

A hand-operated coffee grinder is also there. Coffee users
either bought freshly ground coffee at the store, or brought home the
beans and ground them in small grinders.

ONCE ICE CREAM PARLOR

What business occupied the room where Wise & Green Grocery
was in later years, this author does not know, at least until George
and Ida Hayden took over in the early 1900s. That I know, since they
were my aunt and uncle. That is where they dispensed ice cream, candy,
confections and light lunches. The Haydens had lunch rooms in other
locations in town earlier.

Hayden, assisted by "Skeet" Earl Green, made all of the
ice cream, candies, and roasted nuts. They made delectable candies,
which no longer are avail- able, and a wide variety of ice creams whith
no artificial fillers, only pure milk and cream.

I am reminded that their store, like others then, was
cooled with the overhead rotating fans which are again popular.

Photo No. 3 shows the area described, with the signs indicating
places of business for Peter Clothing Co., Haydens and Linhart and Hess
Shoe Store.

Later, the Hayden location became The Candyland, operated
by A.J. Pavlakos, J.G. Pappas and N.J. Lekas. It was the "ancestor"
of the present-day Candy- land Restaurant at 224 N. Main, operated by
George Pappas, son of one of the original founders.

Prior to the Preis Store, the corner location was Peter
Clothing Co. for many years. It was included in an article March 30,
1980, but a resume of it is included herewith.

RECALL PETER CLOTHING

Peter Clothing Co. was originally Peter and Fruth, prior
to 1900. It was at one time called The Red Star Clothing Store, and
that name was painted on the Tiffin Street wall of the building. Later,
Fruth became disassociated with the store. Still later, Mr. Peter sold
the store to his two sons, John and Phillip, who conducted the business
under the name of Peter Bros. Clothing Co. They also had a store in
North Baltimore.

After the death of Phillip and John, the store was operated
by Carl Peter Sr. and son Carl Jr. In later years, the store was moved
from its long-time loca- tion, diagonally to the southwest corner of
Tiffin and Main in the original Foster Block. It remained there until
it closed in 1967.

In the rooms above what is now The Preis Store, there
were once offices, oc- cupied at various times by A.J. Stackhouse, attorney;
Ora Wade, attorney; Dr. F.H. Pennel; George Jenney, attorney; Robert
Kabel; and tailors A.J. Vogel and Newton Mohler, who also had been in
other locations.

There may be other business names I have missed in this
research, so I will be glad to hear from readers who recall them.